The Rainbow Ball returns with a Prom Sovereign Court, new Emcee and all of the fantastical entrainment you can stand.

The Uplift Outreach Center could use your support with our Rainbow Ball this year! This annual event is a fundraiser for our organization and provides a fun event for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies.

Who We Are
The Uplift Outreach Center is the only LGBTQ+ youth center in Upstate South Carolina specifically focused on youth. We are a safe space where youth and their families can find support. We provide mentoring, peer counseling, peer interaction, tutoring, gender-affirming programming, and learning opportunities. We also help provide financial assistance for our youth with culturally competent therapists for the youth that need it. To date we have helped nearly 200 Upstate youth. The Uplift Outreach Center began as the vision of our former president and cofounder Eric Nolley in 2019 after two Upstate youth sadly ended their lives. Eric Nolley passed away in 2022, but we are dedicated to carrying on his vision. Organizations like The Uplift Outreach Center are vital for our youth.

Why This is Important
The CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published Aug 21, 2020 states that “Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youths continue to experience more violence, victimization and suicide risk than heterosexual youths”.

The Trevor Project’s 2023 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health captured the experiences of more than 28,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 24 across the United States. That survey states:

• 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year.
• 38% of LGBTQ+ youth found their home to be gender-affirming.
• 56% of LGBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were unable to obtain it.
• Roughly half of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who did reported lower rates of attempting suicide.

How You Can Help
Your sponsorship will not only help us reach our goal of $30,000 for our Rainbow Ball fundraiser, but your support will show the youth and community that you truly support them. It is vital that our youth see that businesses in this region support them. All youth deserve a supportive community, but this support helps retain youth in this community. These youth are the workforce of this community’s future. Investing in our youth today is an investment in the future of this community.

Email upliftoutreachcenter@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities